The present invention relates to an electronic watch with a meter function, capable of a multifunctional display.
In recent years the development of multifunctional models of electronic watches has progressed, centered around digital models. There are, for example, as shown in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1-126590, watches which are provided with a water depth measurement function and which digitally display various types of data. There has also been a rapid advance in multifunctional development for watches which use hands for display, and hand-display-equipped watches with multiple functions equal to those of digital watch have been commercialized. However, the multiple functions of hand-display-equipped watches have few degrees of freedom for display in comparison with the digital display device as above mentioned because the display means are hands. For this reason, the various restrictions in display present problems. For example, one problem is a means which specifically points out the current functional mode.
FIG. 1 is a display section of a multifunctional watch with hands for display illustrating a first conventional example disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-56185. The reference numeral 1 designates an hour hand, the reference numeral 2, a minute hand, and the reference numeral 3, a second hand, displaying normal time. The reference numeral 4 is a section in which both a functional quantity and a mode are displayed by means of an accessory hand 4a. In this example there are two functionsxe2x80x94dual time and a timer. The display of the respective functional quantities is provided in identical left and right display sections with engraved graduations. The mode and the functional quantity are displayed simultaneously by the accessory hand 4a. 
FIG. 2 is a display portion of a multifunctional watch with hands for display illustrating a second conventional example as published in The Horological International Correspondence, December 1990, Vol. 31, No. 368, page 319. The reference numeral 5 designates an hour hand, the reference numeral 6, a minute hand, and the reference numeral 7, a second hand, displaying normal time. The reference numeral 8 designates a mode display section in which a mode is displayed by means of an accessory hand 8a, and is made up of a normal display mode, a dual time mode, a timer mode, and an alarm mode. The timer mode shown in FIG. 2 indicates the current time. The reference numeral 9 designates a function display hand for displaying the functional quantity for each function selected by the mode display section 8.
The display area for the functional quantities in the first conventional example is small because a plurality of functional quantities is displayed within one display section. This causes a problem inasmuch as the graduations are difficult to read. Because the display area becomes smaller as the number of functions increases the graduations become more and more difficult to read.
In the second conventional example, the mode is indicated by a dedicated accessory hand to eliminate the problems found in the first conventional example. The functional quantities are indicated by one dedicated display hand provided in the center of the watch. With this method, the mode is easily distinguished because the mode is indicated by the dedicated accessory hand, and because the same function indicating hand is also used to indicate the function status, the area of the display section is large and the graduations are easy to read. However, a dedicated mode-indicating accessory hand must be provided, therefore a dedicated gear train is required and the module space is restricted. In addition, the hand spacing is increased to use the accessory hand, and this results in design restrictions.
Some types of electronic watches equipped with a metering function are capable of providing a water depth indicating function. However, in engraving the graduations the meter in the water depth measurement mode, a method is used in which the time graduations of the watch are also used to indicate water depth, and another method is used in which graduations are provided on the circumference separate from the time graduations. However,in the conventional method by which the above-mentioned time graduations do double duty, a total of 60 m of uniform graduations is used for 60 divisions of graduations corresponding to the time portion, at one graduation for 1 m.
The method by which one revolution contains 60 divisions of uniform graduations conforming to the graduations of the watch portion is extremely easy to read because this is the method used in a normal, familiar type of watch. However, in this method, when the resolution of one graduation is small, such as for example one meter, the display range only extends to 60 meters. In addition, in the case where one graduation is made equivalent to 5 m to expand the display range, it is possible to increase the display range to 300 m, but this has the drawback that the reading precision is poor. Also, in the method where the time graduations are independent and not dual purpose, there is a production problem in providing new graduations on the face plate. In addition, deciding what graduations are to be used for what purpose also presents a problem because there is a plurality of graduations, and these graduations are difficult to read.
Further, the measured values for water depth and the like in a hand display device, are normally displayed each time a measurement is made, and the maximum value is not displayed simultaneously when the measurements are taken. When it is desired to know the maximum value, during measurement the maximum value is first recorded, and when the measurement has been completed this maximum value is usually retrieved.
A first object of the present invention is, with due consideration to the drawbacks of such conventional watches, to provide an electronic watch with a meter function wherein the display areas for mode and for functional quantities are large, the graduations are easy to read, and a small watch with a thin shape is possible.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an electronic watch with a meter function with an expanded display range while maintaining the resolution of the time graduation double duty method.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a device with a hand display which can provide a diver with a sense of security by simultaneously displaying the diving depth and maximum diving depth values.
The first object of the present invention is achieved by the provision of an electronic watch with a meter function comprising a data signal generating means for generating physical quantity data signals, a mode signal generating means for generating mode signals, a watch face and an annular display region surrounding the watch face, the watch face having a plurality of hands. The annular display region includes an arcuate data display region for displaying data other than time and an arcuate mode display region, wherein the arcuate data display region and the arcuate mode display region do not overlap. Also, one of the hands indicates a value in the arcuate data display region in response to a data signal from the data signal generating means, and one of the hands indicates a mode in the arcuate mode display region in response to a mode signal from the mode signal generating means.
The second object of the present invention is achieved by the provision of a watch face as a dial for an electronic watch with hands wherein the time graduations and a meter are in a one-to-one correspondence in a fixed angle range from a standard position for the graduations on the dial, and, in the dial range in which the fixed angle is exceeded, the meter graduations for the time graduations correspond to double that amount.
The third object of the present invention is achieved by the provision of a device with a hand display comprising a signal detection means; a signal processing means for converting a signal output from the signal detection means to a digitalized detection signal; a first motor drive circuit for creating a motor drive signal from an output signal from the signal processing means; a first motor which is driven by the first motor drive circuit; and a detected signal indicating hand driven by the first motor; and further comprising a maximum value memory means; a second motor drive circuit for creating a motor drive signal according to a value recorded in the maximum value memory means; a second motor which is driven by the second motor drive circuit; a maximum value indicator hand which is driven by the second motor; a comparison means for comparing the detection signal and the value stored in the maximum value memory means; and a maximum value rewrite means for rewriting the detection signal into the maximum value memory means in accordance with a compared signal from the comparison means; whereby the maximum value indicator indicator hand indicates the maximum value from among the detected signals.